(Eph. 4)
At this feast, God is present in testimony to the infinite preciousness of the work of Christ, and to His presence at His own right hand in heaven; and we may also add, in blessed testimony to the power of that precious blood which hath cleansed us from all sin. What a scene for the eye and the heart of God! What a scene for faith! The Spirit leads. It may be by a gifted brother, or by one known especially for his spiritual mindedness. But the Spirit is sovereign. He gives the keynote Himself. “He is the author of peace in all the churches of the saints.” He is the power of worship. Praise and thanksgiving characterize the breaking of bread. There is nothing to pray for at the Lord’s table. We have not to remind Him of anything. He has forgotten nothing. Everything is provided—everything is prepared by Himself. Blessed, royal feast! We can only admire, adore, and wonder. It is a spiritual feast. When the Spirit thus leads, God is worshipped in spirit and in truth. Heaven’s joy is tasted on earth. We sometimes wonder if it will be sweeter in heaven. This, remember, Ο my soul, is the highest expression of thy worship, and the most sacred act in thy holy vocation.
“The veil is rent;—our souls draw near
Unto a throne of grace;
The merits of the Lord appear,
They fill the holy place.
‘Tis finished’—here our souls have rest,
His work can never fail;
By Him, our Sacrifice and Priest,
We pass within the veil.
Within the holiest of all.
Cleansed by His precious blood,
Before the throne we prostrate fall,
And worship thee, Ο God.”
Thou wilt now see, my soul, and better understand, what the house of God is, and also what we mean by the “breaking of bread.” And needest thou wonder at the peculiar solemnity of the apostle’s appeal to the Corinthians when they were acting disorderly in the Church? “Know ye not,” he says, “that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.” (1 Cor. 3:16, 17.) These are plain and solemn words. And mark, they describe not what the Church will be by and by, but what it is now. on! how loud do such facts call for holiness of heart and life—for “truth in the inward parts”—for conformity to His will in all things! Could anything be more solemn, and yet could anything be more blessed? To have a place—to be at home with God in His holy temple—to be a dweller where “the Spirit of God dwelleth,” is surely our highest dignity and richest blessing on earth. Certainly, after conversion there is none to compare with it.
Here call in thy thoughts, Ο my soul, center them all on this great truth. For a while, meditate only on the character, privileges, and responsibilities of God’s dwelling place. The thought is wonderful, but it will grow yet more so through thy deeper meditations. Believe the word, however wonderful—obey it, however difficult, and heaven’s richest blessings for a soul still in the body are thine. This temple, remember, of which we thus speak, is founded on finished redemption and a glorified Christ. It is a much deeper thing than a mere church question, though the Church is the place in which all this glory shines. It is plainly called “the house of God—the pillar and ground of the truth.” (1 Tim. 3:15.) Let me ask thee not to look at it in its outward character, as it now appears through man’s unfaithfulness, but think of it according to the word of God, the claims of Christ, the work of regeneration, and the sealing of the Holy Ghost.
Watch! judge thyself, then, lest thou shouldest forget whose house it is, and, who dwells in it. Watch! I say, lest long familiarity with a, place should weaken in thee the deep sense of God’s presence there. It is no light matter to enter a place, of which faith can say, “The living God is here.” As saith the scriptures, “Ye are the temple of the living God.” And, “The Spirit of God dwelleth in you.” That means in the Church or temple, as it is here called. I would urge these cautions, knowing that habit is apt to produce formality, and formality would be ruinous here. Human thoughts and human forms should have no place in the temple of God. There the Holy Ghost abides forever. His stay is not transient as was the blessed Lord’s. Knowing this—believing this—what then? Surely our truest wisdom, our highest privilege, our richest blessing, our deepest humility, is in submitting to Him. No one who believes that a divine Person is present would ever think of taking the lead. Neither would any company of Christians, believing this, ever select and appoint a fellow Christian to do so. Both must be the fruit of unbelief. The effect, however, practically, is to displace the Holy Spirit; or, rather, to “Quench the Spirit.” 1 Thess. 5:19.
Knowest thou, my soul, for thyself, this happy place of thy Lord’s presence? “Let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.” Is thy nature judged, root and branch? This is no place for the flesh. Is it thy one desire to discern the Spirit’s leading, and to follow His current in the assembly? Wouldest thou not break the silence of that sacred place without being happy in His guidance? This exercise of soul will keep thee closely waiting on thy Lord—will lead thee unto deep self-judgment, and to be occupied only with Himself. But this is the place of blessing; there is none other on earth at all to be compared with it. Gathered around the Person of Christ—governed by the Holy Spirit—God the Father delighting in His children and blessing them—this is the assembly—the habitation of God through the Spirit. It is more than “the gate of heaven,” though actually on the earth; it is, to faith, the Holy of holies. Of course it is a searching place for the soul, and few will care to be long there, who are not happy in the light of His presence.
Wilt thou now look around thee, my soul, and see if thou canst find any company of Christians that will answer to the word of God thus considered? If so, thou hast found His dwelling place on earth. Enter there in faith. Blessed discovery! It is the place where the Father reveals Himself to His children—where the Holy Ghost reveals the glory of Christ to His waiting people, even according to the full promise of the Lord: “He shall glorify me; for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you.” The numbers maybe few, the disciples may be weak, but these circumstances change not the ground on which they are gathered. The Lord is faithful. If they answer to His character the blessing will flow. “These things saith he that is holy, he that is true.” It is thus as the Holy One and the True, that we meet Him. Therefore, the one, grand, all important question with all who break bread, is, “What is due to the presence of Christ?” Not, what is due to this one and that one, however much their praise may be in all the churches; but, what is due to Christ?
But now, with respect to the Holy Spirit, tell me, I pray thee, is not the Holy Spirit in every individual believer, and may He not work, and does He not surely work, by office-bearers duly appointed in the Church? Most truly the Holy Ghost is in every individual Christian, as saith the scriptures, “Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, which is in you?” Hence that solemn word, which I regard as one of the most important precepts in the New Testament, “And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.” The Holy Spirit thus dwells in the believer, and will continue to do so until redemption is completed, even as to the body; so that there is no fear of a true Christian ever being lost, or one particle of his redeemed dust ever perishing; even the hairs of his head are numbered. The Holy Spirit, in short, has taken possession of the body, and will never lose sight of it, dead or alive, until He delivers it up to God, a glorified body, 1 Cor. 6:19; Eph. 4:30; Rom. 8:11; 1 Cor. 15:42-44.
Thus far we are perfectly agreed, but still it is quite clear that the apostle, in 1 Cor. 3 and similar portions, is speaking, not of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in individuals, or of His working by one whom a congregation may have chosen and ordained to be over them; but of the Holy Spirit Himself in the assembly, as the one to direct, minister, sustain, and bless the assembly, or the saints, according to the will of God. “Ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building, ye are the temple of the living God, the Spirit of God dwelleth in you.” These are God’s words, not mine.” And carefully note, I pray thee, how much God has to do with the assembly. It is worthy of all note, both as a guard upon our wills, and as a source of unspeakable blessing to our souls. Thus He works, observe, “Ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building. And “we are laborers together with God,” He, works in various ways by means of the living members of the body. But then, it is by whomsoever He will, not by whomsoever we will. We must not hinder His working by any fixed arrangement of ours. Always leave room for the Spirit to act as He pleases. Being God, He works for the good of all: we are partial and selfish. But let me endeavor to make the Spirit’s place and action yet more plain.
In answer to the confession of Peter in Matt. 16, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God,” the Lord says to him, “Upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Now, observe, the living stones were before Him, Peter was a stone, but they were still separate, individual stones. The building was not begun. It was not till after the death, resurrection, and glorification of Christ that the living stones were builded together. Turn now to the Acts of the Apostles. In chapter 1 we find that the Holy Spirit is not yet come. The disciples are instructed to wait for Him; assured that they would be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence; and. that they would receive power after that the Holy Ghost was come upon them. (What has been said a few pages back, on the “Comforter being sent and come” may be consulted here, as forming a link between Matt. 16 and the opening of the Acts.) In chapter ii. He descends in manifested power: “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues, like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with, other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”
This was the gathering “together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad,” according to the word of the Lord, John 11:52. The Church of God, we may say, is now formed. The Holy Ghost has come down, forms the unity, takes His place in it, and there to abide forever! Now the Church has an existence, in fact, on the earth. The counsels of God from all eternity are accomplished. The Holy Ghost builds the Church according to the word of the Lord in Matt. 16, “Upon this rock I will build my Church.” The living stones are now brought together.
The house of God is commenced. The hundreds of believers spoken of in the New Testament are incorporated into “one body” Then they were chiefly Jews; the Gentiles were afterward brought in. Acts 10.
Peter begins at once to preach Christ as Lord, but with mighty power. He was filled with the Holy Ghost. He boldly charges the men of Israel with the guilt of crucifying their own Messiah; but that God had raised Him up—exalted Him to His own right hand in heaven, and made Him “both Lord and Christ.” Three thousand were converted and added to the infant Church. “Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousands souls. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine, and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.” This chapter, so wonderful in its records, and so worthy of special note, closes with this statement, “And the Lord added to the Church daily such as should be saved.” The Church is now fairly formed—the building goes on—its history is begun, whether viewed as the body of Christ, or as the dwelling-place of God.
Thou wilt now see, my soul, from this rapid sketch, that the Holy Ghost first forms the Church, and then dwells in it. “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one spirit.” He sets the different members in their several places. “But now hath God set the members in the body as it hath pleased him.” Having thus formed the body, and set the different members in their several places, He ministers to it of the fullness and glory of Christ, and guides all its movements.
Now thou canst see the two things—the Holy Ghost in the Church, and in the individual Christian. But just because He is in the body, He is in the members. The soul of man, dwelling in his body, guides and uses its different members, just because it is there. It may use the eye, the ear, the hand, the foot, or the unseen heart; but we should think it strange to hear a person saying, that the soul was in the individual members, but not in the body. Just so the Holy Spirit dwells and acts in the body of Christ; only He is perfect in wisdom, love, and power, but the soul is feeble, selfish, and erring. The cause of the blindness of many minds on this subject, is ignorance of the “one body and one Spirit.” But scripture is plain, and we who have it are responsible. “Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit............the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.” This is the Church in its unity, according to the word of God. It is the body—the spouse of Christ, and the habitation of God through the Spirit.
And now let me add, see that thou grasp fully this great truth. So few seem to do so, or care to do so. Nevertheless, it has been the great truth before God on the earth for the last eighteen hundred years. It is the temple of God. True, that temple may be defiled by false doctrine, worldliness, or immorality; but God dwells in that which belongs to Christ. His precious blood has made it an habitation meet for God Himself to dwell in. When we think of the Church as the body of Christ—His bride; and as one with Him; we wonder not at God dwelling there.
Through the pride, covetousness, and dreadful wickedness of man, the outward appearance of the Church has completely—sadly changed. But all who are built on the Rock-foundation are eternally secure. That Bock never moves. The gates of hell can never prevail against it. Myriads of bodies that belong to Christ now he under the power of the grave—the gates of hades are closed upon them. But the day is coming when these gates, so long closed, must fly open. Every saint of God, from Adam downwards, shall come forth in glory and victory. The morning of the first resurrection will be the grand declaration of the Lord’s promise to His Church: “And the gate of hell shall not prevail against it.”
“Ο happy morn! the Lord will come,
And take His waiting people home
Beyond the reach of care
Where guilt and sin are all unknown:
The Lord will come and claim His own,
And place them with Him on His throne,
The glory bright to share.
The resurrection-morn will break,
And every sleeping saint awake,
Brought forth in light again;
Ο morn, too bright for mortal eyes!
When all the ransomed Church shall rise,
And wing their way to yonder skies—
Called up with Christ to reign.”